Our  Canaries 
obviously  in  pain.  I  should  catch  her,  and  if  the  egg  felt  soft  through  the  abdo- 
minal walls  and  she  was  not  very  ill,  I  should  offer  some  mortar  and  wait  a  few 
hours.  If  she  ate  it,  the  egg  might  appear  then.  If  the  egg  were  hard,  i.e.  had  a 
shell,  and  the  bird  ill,  I  should  have  no  hesitation  in  using  an  "expression  method" 
to  increase  the  vis  a  tergo  with  a  view  to  overcoming  the  resistance  in  front. 
"  Some  years  ago  I  kept  Budgerigars  and  these  are  very  prone  to  egg-binding. 
From  my  experience  with  them  I  discarded  as  lengthy  and  ineffectual  all  attempts 
to  obtain  relief  by  castor  oil  by  mouth,  oiling  vent  and  steaming.  I  used  to  express 
the  egg  at  once,  and  the  bird  was  well  in  a  very  short  time.  I  never  had  a  failure 
that  I  remember  and  have  even  expressed  the  egg  after  death.  This  method 
was  published,  I  believe,  for  the  first  time  in  a  paper  on  Budgerigars  by  myself 
in  Cage  Birds  some  years  ago. 
"  Briefly,  the  method,  which  is  illustrated  on  page  io8,  was  :  bird  on  its  back 
in  left  hand,  head  towards  right  hand  ;  finger  and  thumb  placed  on  sides  of  egg 
near  vent  and  drawn  backwards  with  gentle  pressure  on  the  egg  to  be  sure 
of  pushing  aside  the  intestines  and  oviduct  which  lie  partially  over  its  surface- 
When  sufficiently  drawn  back  the  finger  and  thumb  holding  egg  between  are 
gently,  slowly  and  firmly  pushed  forwards  towards  the  vent  and  the  ease  with 
which  the  egg  is  expressed  into  the  palm  of  the  hand  is  magical.  I  do  not 
think  it  causes  more  pain  than  usual  ;  it  is  certainly  quicker  and  therefore 
must  relieve  the  bird  of  hours  of  suffering,  and  as  far  as  I  know  it  is  free 
from  any  ill  effects  as  it  simply  imitates  nature  and  supplies  the  defective 
expulsive  efforts. 
"  Great  care  and  gentleness  are  required,  and  a  delicate  touch  is  a  very 
great  asset  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  manoeuvre.  On  no  account  should 
the  egg  be  pinched  between  the  finger  and  thumb,  or  it  will  be  broken  and  is 
then  more  difficult  to  get  away.  Personally,  I  have  done  it,  i.e.,  broken  it,  and  got 
it  away  successfully,  and  on  the  rare  occasions  that  I  had  an  accident,  once  only, 
as  far  as  I  can  remember,  it  was  due  to  my  not  taking  sufficient  time  and 
care  in  the  correct  placing  of  the  finger  and  thumb.  Only  sufficient  pressure 
should  be  made  to  prevent  the  egg  going  backwards  between  the  finger  and 
thumb,  and  the  whole  arrangement  of  the  egg  and  finger  and  thumb  should 
be  pushed  forwards  towards  the  vent.  If  the  first  attempt  fails  to  extrude  the 
egg,  it  will  have  at  least  partially  dilated  the  oviduct  end,  and  a  series  of  gen- 
tle pressures  forward  with  re-adjustments  of  thumb  and  finger  will  push  the  egg 
down  until  its  greatest  diameter  has  passed  the  resistance  in  front,  and  the 
manipulation  will  succeed.  The  fancier  who  has  a  very  heavy  hand  and  not 
a  delicate  sense  of  touch  would  be  wise  to  ask  a  fellow  fancier  who  is  better  in 
these  respects  to  attempt  it  for  him.  I  think  it  would  be  justifiable,  if  the 
usually  suggested  means  failed,  for  him  to  attempt  it  if  he  is  careful  and  the  con- 
dition of  the  hen  is  such  that  death  must  ensue  if  left  unrelieved." 
